Zubová is leader of Czech Greens splinter party

+CTK |

30 June 2009

Prague, June 29 (ČTK) - Czech MP Olga Zubova was elected the chairwoman of the Democratic Green Party (DSZ) and she will lead the party ahead of the autumn general elections, the Medea public relations company told ČTK Monday.

Medea is owned by businessman Jaroslav Soukup who pays the party's campaign.

Soukup and Jiri Steg were elected DSZ deputy chairmen.

The party decided on its new leadership last week, it said.

Zubova was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006 for the Greens (SZ) who expelled her in March, along with MP Vera Jakubkova and two other rebels, after long disputes about the SZ's politics. Zubova and Jakubkova then joined the leftist opposition and voted no confidence in the centre-right government that fell in late March, halfway through the Czech EU presidency.

Zubova ran as DSZ leader in the recent elections to the European Parliament, but she won only 0.6 percent of the vote.

The DSZ wants to address young people. It says it promotes a policy of cooperation and agreement rather than of disputes and attacks.

Soukup told the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) last week that he is prepared to invest up to 100 million crowns in order to be elected a lower house deputy.

In 2006, Soukup helped the Greens with their campaign ahead of the general election. However, he later clashed with SZ leader Martin Bursik.

Media say Soukup played an important role as a negotiator in the days that preceded the government's fall.

Soukup said the DSZ campaign ahead of the EP elections cost over five million crowns.